What is “Punktology”? It is my attempt to produce a video documentary and accompanying blog that helps punks from all over the world tell their story about the influence and philosophy of punk music in their lives, their culture and their society.

WHO AM I?

Who am I? My name is Robert G. Rose. I’m an aspiring filmmaker and an experienced independent TV producer, marketer and media entrepreneur who happens to love traveling and punk rock music.

There is nothing more cool than meeting punks from all over the world. If you want to know more about me you can read my bio HERE.

Punk Show

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?

The journey of producing “Punktology” began when I was visiting Medellin, Colombia. I spotted a group of young punks completely punked out with mohawks, piercings and tattoos trying to catch a bus and the bus driver denied them access, presumably because of the way they looked.

Having lived in the East Village in New York City just a block away from the famed St. Marks Street and a few blocks from the iconic CBGB’s, I was familiar with punks making the pilgrimage to NYC.

But now, observing these kids in Medellin being obviously discriminated against, I wanted to know what it was like to be a punk rocker in other countries compared to the U.S. where freedom of expression and individualism may not be as celebrated. Is the punk philosophy the same? What about rockabilly or psychobilly subcultures? Does discrimination and intimidation regularly occur? When and how did punk begin in their country? Who are their musical influences and what is the music scene like there? So many questions…

Punk Latina "Erika"

WHERE HAVE I JOURNEYED SO FAR?

This journey has taken me to some cool spots where you might not think punk is having an impact. Like Havana, Cuba where an outspoken and tight knit group of punks called “los freakies” (the freaks) co-exist with a communist, dictator style government that arrests them at every turn for offenses as minor as “talking to tourist”. I witnessed this first hand when I was conducting some clandestine interviews with punks there. You can read more about that HERE:

It took me to Buenos Aries, Argentina where punk and even rockabilly and psychobilly were outlawed during the military rule just a few years back. Later in the trip, on the way to catch a boat to Uruguay, a fake taxi driver drove off with my camera equipment, computer, passport, etc. and with it 3 weeks of footage from the entire trip (Lesson learned, I went back the next February to re shoot and was sure to only take OFFICIAL taxis).

My most fascinating trip was to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia where where punk rockers are still being censored and some have even been murdered by the Nazi skinhead element. We were surprised how big the rockabilly scene was in Russia and Ukraine. It’s a tough trip but we can’t wait to get back there soon.

Besides punk bands like NOFX, Tiger Army and The Casualties, I’ve also interviewed punks bands and fans from all over including the U.S., Central and South America, the Caribbean, Taiwan, Italy and more trying to expose the similarities and the differences in the punk scenes and philosophies all over the world.

Havana, Cuba

WHO DO I WANT TO TALK TO?

I’ve interviewed drifters or “squatter” punks in NYC, ska fans Valpairaso, Chile where I dodged the devastating earthquake by less than 24 hours. I’ve tagged along on stops of concert tours by American punk bands like “The Casualties” playing Colombia for the first time.

It doesn’t matter if people are into punk, ska, rockabilly, hardcore, psychobilly, punkabilly, neo-punk, industrial punk, or reggae, I want to document their story and see how punk has and can make the planet a more livable, equitable place.

I’ve discovered that punk is not only a complex and worldwide underground musical genre, it’s a powerful philosophy and way of living that has a tendency to be strongest in countries where injustice and corruption is most prevalent. I’ve learned that punks in the most tolerant of societies have a responsibility to help punks in the least tolerant societies help instigate change.

Traveling and taping for “Punktology” has been extremely rewarding with dozens of interviews logged, hundreds of hours of concerts and travel footage shot but most importantly scores of lifelong friends made.

It’s a big enterprise for a lone documentarian but then again, what’s more punk than doing it yourself? I’m hoping the journey will take me to Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan and yes, even Africa!

I plan on spending whatever time it takes to get a full breadth of interviews from punks all over the world and in the most unexpected places to tell a story that has never been fully told.

On Stage With The Casualties in Medellin, Colombia

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL?

If you have a story to tell and you are interested in participating in “Punktology”, no matter where you live, shoot me an email to PunkOutlaw@aimtvgroup.com or leave a comment here and I’ll get back to you. Chances are I’ll be in your section of the world eventually.

CHECK OUT THE MUSIC

Documentaries like “Punktology” take years to produce. That is why we created the blog, so people can get some immediate gratification from our travels and interviews. We also recently launched a digital only record label called “Punk Outlaw Records” that features music from some of the bands we’ve interviewed over the years from our travels. That way people can be turned on to more music from punks as far away as the other side of the world. We haven’t turned a profit yet, and we may never, but if we do, we’ve pledged 25% of our portion of the profits to “not for profits” that help some of the world’s most vulnerable and poor citizens, a cause we feel strongly about.

BE A PAL?

If you’d like to get periodic updates of our travels, be sure and check back here often as I write and post photos and videos of my travels at Punk Outlaw (you can subscribe to our updates by hitting RSS feed or you can get a monthly email updated by leaving your email in a comment). And be sure to be our FACEBOOK , MYSPACE and TWITTER friend. We all need more friends right?

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